Flying machine



March 24, 1925. 1,531,084

G. E. ECKLER FLYING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 20, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet l FIG 1 A TTORXE) [N VENTOR March 24, 1925- 1,531,084

' G. E. ECKLER FLYING MACHINE Original Filed. Dec. 20, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 PIC-341 j a w INVENTOR B y'fiff" A TTORAE Y March 24, 1925.

G.E.ECKLER FLYING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 20, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 24, 1925.

GEORGE E. ECKLER, F AKRON, OHIO.

FLYING MACHINE.

Application filed December 20, 1920, Serial No. 431,863..

-*To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. ECKLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron,.in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Flying Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved flying' machine which maybe designated broadly as an aeroplane,-but which possesses certain novel and important features that-clearly distinguish ittherefrom.

Broadly stated, the object of the invention is to provide a flying machine which may be operated to ascend directly into the air without a flying start and consequently to provide a practical efficient aeroplane which for starting or landing purposes Wlll require an area but little larger in extent than required for the machine when not in fli ht.

another object is the provision of a flying machine provided with means whereby it may be lifted and maintained in the. air and propelled therethrough with the expenditure of a minimum amount of power and to thus provide means whereby aerial travel may be easily and economically accom plished.

A 'further object is the provision of an aeroplane which may be operated to slowly ascend or descend and which will thus practically eliminate starting and landing accidents so common in the use of aeroplanes of the types heretofore known and as a result to provide means whereby aerial navigation may be more safely pursued and followed with greater certainty of accomplish- .ment. t a The invention contemplates the provision of a flying machine of simple, economical construction wherein the lifting is accomplished by revolving planes which in turn rotate on an axis parallelly disposed relative to the axis of rotation, the parts being synchronized to provide a rotatlon of each plane with each complete revolution thereof and to thus constantl maintain the planes in a normally'horiz'ontal position.

The above objects are accomplished and additional ends are attained, as will be made clear as the description proceeds, by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein described and illus-,

trated in the accompanying drawings,

wherein I have shown a preferred embodistructure includes brace Renewed September 15, 1924.

ment of the invention, it being understood that the invention is capable of various adaptations and that changes, variations and modifications may be made and substitutions resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and to which reference is made by like characters which are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a flying machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view thereof showing the fuselage mounted upon a chassis with the superposed frame structure carrying the propulsion devices.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view showingthe gearing for maintaining the shutter frames of the propelling devices in horizontal position.

Figure 4 is a detailed elevational view of the operating gears for the propeller frames, illustrating the combined gear and sprocket wheel.

Figure 5' is a perspective view of one of the propeller frameswith the hinged shutters depending therefrom. v

Figure 6 is a fragmentary end elevational view of one of the shutters.

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken on line 77 of Figure 5, showing the shutters in closed pbsition to resist air pressure when moving downwardly and,

Figure 8 is a'detailed sectional view of one of the shutters and the mounting rod therefor with a brace bar and pintle limiting the opening movement of the shutters.

Briefly described, the machine structurally embodies the fuselage mounted upon a chassis with a rudder and elevating planes carried-by the rear end of the fuselage and operable from a convenient position within the fuselage body. A superposed frame bars extending upwardly from the fuselage and carrying at their upper ends a. horizontal frame, an elevating and propulsion device located at the forward and rear ends thereof. Each elevating and propulsion device includes radially extending arms in the form of a spider fixed to-a horizontal shaft having a chain and sprocket connection with a motorjwith- OFFICE.

in the body of the fuselage. A frame isoperator.

have driving connections with the shaft that supports the radial arms. The driving connections between the frames and said shaft are such as to cause the frames to constantly assume horizontal positions. Each frame includes a plurality of loosely hinged shutters adapted to be folded into overlapping relations during the descending movement of the frames by air pressure against the same, the shutters automatically dropping to an open position when the frames are at their limits of lower movements and remaining so positioned during a portion of the upward movement ofthe frames to effect forward propulsion of the machine.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying ures 1 and 2, there is illustrated a flying machine embodying a fuselage 1 mounted upon the wheel chassis 2 and having an operators seat 3 in the upper side thereof. A rudder 4 is hinged to the rear end of the fuselage and is shifted by the operating cords 5 extending in proximity of the seat portion 3 andinconvenient reach of the The rearwa-rdly positioned aileron controlled in its movement by 7 effects ascending and descending movement of the machine during operation, the forward ends of the operating cords being located in proximity of the seat. portion 3 and under control of the operator.

A superposed frame structure for supporting the elevating and propulsion devices includes brace bars 8 connected to the body of the fuselage and supporting at their upper ends. longitudinal side bars 9. A 'horizontal shaft 10 is journaled between the adjacent ends of the opposite side bars as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and has fixed to each end thereof a sprocket 11. A motor 12 arranged in the forward end of the fuselage 1 has a power shaft 13 projecting from opposite sides thereof and supported in the lateral frames 14, the projecting ends of the shafts 13 carrying sprockets 15 over which chains 16 pass for communicating motion to the sprocket-11 on each shaft 10,

this arrangement being clearly shown in Figure 1.

A structure embodying radial arms 17 is fixed to the shaft 10 adjacent each end thereof while a shaft18 is journaled in'the corresponding outer ends of the opposite arms '17. The shafts 18 are rotated through the medium of drivingconnections between said shafts, and the shaft 10. rotated by the motor 12, these connections embodying a relatively wide gear 19 fixed to the upper frame bar 9 against movement relative thereto. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, an

angle brace bar 20 is fixed at its ends to adjacent arms 17 in proximity of the. stationary gear 19 and has :journaled thereon drawings and particularly to Figthe cord,

'in Figures 1 and 3 assing over the sprocket wheel .section 23 o the combined gear and sprocket wheel, the gear 22 traveling in a planetary path around the stationary gear 19 to effect rotation thereof and the driving of the sprocket wheels 24.

An elevating and propelling device is fixedto each shaft 18 and includes a rectangular frame embodying side bars 26 and end bars 27 with intermediate spaced brace rods 28., A plurality of shutters 29 of the form best illustrated in Figure 8 are supported within the frame bars 26 and 27 by longitudinal rods 30 over which the upper ends of the shutters 29 are loosely secured by bending the shutters into substantially circular formation as at 29 with the shutters 29 hinged to the rods 30. The shutters are of a depth as illustrated in Figure 7 to fold or swing to the overlapping positions disclosed when the frame travels in an arcuate descending movement as shown in Fig- .ure 1 by resisting the air pressure, the shut- At the limit of downward movewithin the seat portion 3 of the fuselage is in direct control of the motor 12, the rudder 4 and the elevating planes 6. The shafts 10 carried by. the superposed plane structure are driven by the chain connections 16 with the motor, while the frame arms 17 fixed to the shafts 10 rotate therewith and bodily carrv the gear 22 in a planetary path arou nd the stationary gear 19. The chain connection 12 between the s rocket wheel portion 23 of the gear-22 an the sprocket wheel 24, upon the shafts 18 cause the frames carrying the shutters constantly to assume the horizontal positions shown in Figure 2. During the downward move ment of the shutter frames, the shutters will be closed to the positions shown in Figures 1 and 7' to overlap each other and resist air pressure for elevating the machine. At the limits of downward movements, the shutaccordance with my ters 29 will fall by gravity to perpendicular positions and effect the forward propulsion of the machine during a portion of the upper arcua-te movement thereof. With a machine of this type, the shutter frames both elevate and forwardly propel the same while the direction of travel is controlled by the rudder and aileron.

While I have shown and described what I consider a prefelredembodiment of the mvention and have shown certain means whereby the various parts may be driven, it is obvious that gears and shafts may be substituted for the chains and sprockets shown or other meansmay be, employed to synchronously drive the operable parts.

In use, a flying machine constructed in invention may be used to ascend almost vertically toany desired height whereupon the controlling devices may be operated to direction. Inasmuch as the supporting planes move do .nwardly as the machine volplanes forward great speed may be attained while the machine will maintain its elevation.

It will thus be seen that I have rovided a.

simple, eflicient device that embo ies an entirely new and novel principle which maybe applied as herein set forth and which may be adapted to numerous other forms of flying machines. J

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent is v p a 1. A- flying machine of the type described comprising a fuselage, a superposed frame carried thereby, a shaft rotatably journaled transversely ofsaid frame, a motor within the fuselage and operatively connected with said shaft, radial arms pro ecting from said shaft, a shaft journaled on the outer ends of said arms, a frame fixed to each shaftand disposed in a horizontal position, hinged shutterscarried by each frame and operative connectionsp etween said shafts whereby the frames constantly assume horizontal positions, said operative connections including a volplane in a forward 'to be carried thereby, a

ter frames, adapted to gear fixed to the superposed frame, sprocket wheels carried by the shafts at the outer ends of said arms, a combined gear and sprocket wheel having lateral gear portions in mesh with said fixed gear and an intermediate sprocket wheel spaced therefrom rotatably supported on the arms to travel in a planetary path around a fixed gear and a sprocket chain passing over said sprocket wheels for maintaining the frames on the arm shafts in horizontal positions.

2, -A flying machine of the type described comprising a fuselage, a superposed frame carried thereby, a shaft rotatably journaled transversely of said frame, a motor within the fuselage and operatively connected with said'shaft, radial arms pro ecting from said shaft, a shaft" journaled on the outer ends of said arms, a frame fixed to each shaft and disposed in a'horizontal position, hinged shutters carriedby each frame andtransverse brace rods carried by said shutter frames, means carried by said rods adaptedengaged by said shutters for limiting the openingmovement of the shutters and operative connections between said shafts) whereby the frames constantly assume horizontal positions.

3. A flying machine of comprising a fuselage,

shaft transversely ofsaid frame, a iuotor within the fuselage and operatively connected with said shaft, radial arms projecting from said shaft, a shaft joulnaled on the outer ends of said arms, shaft and disposed in a. horizontal position, hinged shutters carried by each frame and transverse brace rods carried by said shutpintles depending from said rods be engaged by said shutters for limiting the opening movement of the shutters. and operative connections between said shafts whereby the frames vconsta ntly assume horizontal positions.

the type described a superposed frame In testimony whereof I have hereunto" set my hand.

GEORGE E; ECKLER.

rotatably j ournaled a frame fixed to each" 

